JTI-Macdonald Canada, one of the oldest and largest tobacco companies in the world, registered a lobbyist in Alberta in June and another in Ontario in July to call for stronger enforcement of illegal tobacco so “taxpayers can recover lost revenue and support those affected by President [Donald] Trump’s tariff policies.” 

The company and its peers, as well as retailer groups like the Convenience Industry Association of Canada, have been lobbying for governments to crack down on illegal tobacco that’s been costing them business for years, but tying the concerns to U.S. tariffs is a newer approach.